In the summer of 2025, golfing icon Ernie Els saw his prestigious Els Club brand reach European shores for the very first time, with Vilamoura being the location on the continent deemed worthy of the South African’s newest private members club, also now the first private members club in the Algarve.

Perhaps even more significantly, the news that there would be a first European PGA Tour Champions event, the Portugal Invitational, to be held at the Els Club from July 27-2 August 2026 sent a message to the golfing world that there was a larger, globally defined vision quickly becoming a reality in the heart of the Algarve.

For Els, this dream has been in the making for some time, having regularly holidayed in the Algarve over the last decade. “The whole family loves it here. When the kids were small, we would often come down to this area for summer holidays for about ten years. We’d play some golf in the area, often at Vilamoura,” Els added.

The family feel that Els mentions is something which the club itself encapsulates, combining high-end luxury living with the sense of community between members that transcends beyond the golf course.

The connected Victoria Hotel & Spa – set to be in the safe hands of Fairmont in two years – possesses the Els Club’s very same identity. A five-star resort with 260 rooms and suites, the hotel offers facilities for everyone.

Most excitingly for non-members, booking a package stay at the Victoria hotel now provides access to experience the Els Club Vilamoura course for the very first time, a deal which few are going to be able to turn down.

Els recalls: “I actually played the old Victoria Course at Vilamoura here many times. It was an Arnold Palmer course, one of my heroes, so when Arrow Global came, we had a nice chat and they gave us their vision of what the DETAILS team were up to down here with Nuno Sepulveda, so this whole thing started coming together with the people and with my knowledge of the area.”

The new Els Club Vilamoura course is located on the same ground as the old Victoria Course, which was best known for hosting the Portugal Masters from 2007-2022, however, its location is where the similarities end.

Naturally, at the heart of the complete redesign and overhaul of the new Els Club course was The Big Easy’ himself, working closely alongside leading architect and senior design associate Greg Letsche.

In collaboration with DETAILS, the redevelopment has taken place in just 18 months, an almost unprecedented timescale for a project of this magnitude.

On the new design, Els said: “People might recognise the setting here, but they won’t recognise this golf course. It’s completely new. Greg and I decided very early on in the process that we were going to reverse the back nine routings and create some new holes.

“That brought with it some logistical challenges, but it was absolutely the right thing to do. The feedback we’ve had has been overwhelmingly positive. As part of that work, we also created a new practice area, which a golf course of this calibre deserves.”

The key for Els was to design the course offering something for golfers of all levels; from the everyday player to an 18 handicap, to a professional player.

The front nine provides ample scoring opportunities, consisting of three par-5s with holes four and seven the only occasions where danger of finding the water becomes realistic threat. However, with a lot of water being poured on the native areas for growth, high rough and an array of strategically placed bunkers ensure the first half of the course will not be too kind to players who miss the fairways.

The greens of holes six and eight are both encircled by three enticing bunkers and areas of rough on the back side, while no matter what tee you are playing from, the narrow fairway of the par-4 seventh demands perfection to avoid becoming acquainted with the thick shrubbery either side.

In his design, Els has taken the windy conditions into account, especially due to the close proximity of the coast. “Our philosophy is to get the player off the tee into nice wide fairways,” he explained.

The back nine most definitely pose an even bigger threat to golfers of all levels, particularly with the drastic rise in water hazards that come into play.

However, with added danger comes some simply stunning scenery; between holes 10 and 15 the course becomes a stout and varied challenge that weaves neatly through its series of water challenges and smattering of native pine without ever feeling too samey.

Hole 10, previously the 18th on the old Victoria course, plays towards the west, with water dominating the right channel and a plethora of pines waiting to meet you on the left.

The 11th hole however is one that Els believes may just be the standout; players will be able to see the water on the right-hand side all the way down to and before the green of the par-5. This can most certainly be reached in three shots if you are able to block out the sea of blue in the periphery of your vision.

Els said: “It looks incredible and strategically I’d say it’s got that perfect balance of risk-reward, with water down the left on your tee shot and a stream nestled against the right-hand side of the green complex. Wind also comes into play here. It’s a great hole.”

The final hole is a tricky dogleg par 4 that plays blind around the corner for the better players. With the clubhouse overlooking as you make the final strides towards the green, the picture of a dramatic championship final day quickly starts to form in your mind.

In terms of projects he has worked on, Els is ultimately extremely proud of what has been delivered. “We’ve been around the world, let me tell you… it ranks right up there. It’s certainly top three and it could be our best.

“The whole team in this project have to get 10 out of 10; it’s one of the nicest projects we’ve ever done.”

The Els Club Vilamoura undoubtedly adds another dimension to the golfing tourism landscape in The Algarve.

And with the announcement of the Springs at the Els Club – a new real estate project – this adds to the sense of community, and five-star resort feel that will be brought to a new collection of homes overlooking the golf course.